


Purpose

by valkyrish



Series: Finding the Way [2]
Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Grassroots Rebellion, Implied/Referenced Sex, Making Out, Mutual Pining, RVing for Fun and Freedom, Reconnaissance, Resistance, Romance, Sequel, Sexy Distraction Tactics, With Jedi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-29
Updated: 2018-04-29
Packaged: 2019-04-29 19:40:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14479773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/valkyrish/pseuds/valkyrish
Summary: Like it or not, Kanan is part of Hera's grassroots resistance movement. Every member of their team has their own reasons for fighting the ISB, but even with all the Jedi training, hacking, and sabotage, they're still just a family on an extended camping trip.Sequel toDirection.





	Purpose

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to my dear bestie JD for reading this despite having only seen like 2 episodes of Rebels.

“Here's your coffee, Love.” Hera handed Kanan a hot, full mug.

Kanan smiled up at her. “I love everything about that sentence,” he said as she took the seat next to him. “And I just know you're going to give me a taste of that latte, aren't you?”

He did his best to make it sound dirty. Since it looked like “undercover boyfriend” was the best he was ever going to get, he was going to commit.

“I'm not letting you have the first sip. Look,” she lowered her mug so he could see, “the barista made a heart.”

“Cute.” Kanan watched as she took a sip, closing her eyes to give him a show. There was a dab of foam on her upper lip and Kanan would have given anything to be able to lean over and—

Hera looked him right in the eyes and licked the foam off herself.

“You're cruel. You know that, right?” he groaned. Hera just smiled. He took a drink, wishing he had something stronger than caf.

“It’s nice to have a moment alone,” she said, sounding much more like herself.

Kanan agreed wholeheartedly. They'd been traveling together for almost a month, and privacy was an even greater luxury than pricey coffee. When he wasn't training Ezra or taking on Hera-approved odd jobs, he was stuck back at camp, watching Zeb, Sabine, and Chopper tinker with the scrap electronics they picked up. The dirty looks had stopped, but the tinkering reminded him of Skelly, right down to the suspicious explosions. Thinking of Skelly made him feel guilty, and Chopper hadn't had any luck tracking him down yet.

Time with Hera was even rarer than time alone. She was always out chasing leads and gathering intel. Intel that she still didn't trust him with. When she was around, she and Chopper were huddled over datapads, speaking in hushed voices. It was almost like she was avoiding him, but Kanan knew better—she was too busy to give him much thought at all. It was fine. He had his hands full with Ezra.

Hera seemed to have two uses for Kanan: late night driving companion and reconnaissance operation partner. They had been skulking around the Corellian province for a while now, and while he missed the midnight discussions, it was hard to complain. This was their third “date” in two weeks.

This coffee shop was the favorite of a wealthy banker and rumored ISB sympathizer, but until the guy showed, all he and Hera had to do was enjoy each other’s company. They blended in well-enough with the mix of hip twenty-somethings and young professionals.

Once this banker arrived, Kanan had no idea what they were supposed to do. Hera was keeping him in the dark, as usual. He was just there to look pretty.

“How's the latte?” he asked.

“Have some.” She held it out to him and he balanced his own mug on the arm of his chair. Deliberately brushing his fingers against hers, he took the cup and sipped. Creamy and sweet with a hint of vanilla. Not his thing, though he would have no doubt enjoyed tasting it on Hera’s lips.

Come to think of it, lattes weren't Hera’s thing, either. “Seems a little weak for you,” he said, handing the mug back. “I thought you said caf wasn't strong enough unless there were grounds floating around in it.”

“I had three cups last night,” she admitted, placing the mug on the table next to her. “Thought I should take it easy this morning.”

Kanan frowned. She had been up late again, but he didn't want to bring it up. He was a light sleeper, and it was getting to the point where he knew her in the Force and by her footsteps. Maybe some of that had to do with sleeping on the floor—he knew exactly when Zeb woke up, too.

“Want some of mine?” He held out his mug of black coffee. She grabbed it with both hands and took a long drink, actually savoring it this time. Kanan couldn't help but smile as he watched.

“Sorry,” she said, dabbing at the corners of her mouth with the back of her hand. “I didn't mean to drink so much of it.”

He laughed. “Keep it. You paid for it anyway.”

“Well, my latte’s all yours if you want it, Love.” That was basically his code name. He didn't ask any questions because he really didn't want her to change it.

The latte wasn't that bad, but he wished she'd splurged on an extra shot. He hadn’t slept much last night, either. Not that he'd been waiting up on her.

Hera yawned and turned her head to the side like she was stretching, then pulled her phone from her pocket.

“Hey, take a picture with me,” she said with a subtle lift of an eyebrow. He nodded, leaning in until they were cheek to cheek. They had used this trick before. She lifted her phone high enough so their faces were near the bottom of the screen. Outside the window behind them, a man in a fancy suit was emerging from a car.

“That him?” Kanan said, pressing his lips to her jaw to mask his words. Hera barely nodded as she snapped a few pictures of the man, his car, and the tops of their heads. All business as usual, but her skin was growing hotter against his. _Too bad we're cropped out of these photos,_ he thought. _Chopper would have a fit._

“Perfect,” she said, lowering her phone as the man approached the door. He carried a black briefcase but aside from the slightly nicer suit, he didn't look that different from any of the other business people already in the coffee shop.

Kanan sank back into his seat, not because he wanted to, but because no one would want to sit near a couple of horny college kids. Instead, he mimicked Hera and pretended to occupy himself on his phone while the banker waited in line.

 _What are we doing here?_ he wondered. Intercepting something? Eavesdropping? Just watching? Whatever it was, he was ready. He liked to think Hera would have warned him if assassination was on the agenda. Assassination wasn't Hera’s style, anyway.

“Cappuccino?” said the barista.

“Yes.”

 _Well, now we know his drink of choice,_ Kanan thought. _That’ll stop the ISB._ He watched out of the corner of his eye as Vidian took a seat at a table a few yards away from them and pulled a tablet out of his case.

Hera placed her hand over Kanan’s and laughed softly. “Look at this,” she said, tapping her phone as if she had a funny picture to show him. He leaned in to see an picture and headline on a Corellian news site, announcing someone named Adelhard was running for governor. That must have been the other party they were waiting on.

“Ha,” he said. “Nice.”

Hera looked up. “Looks like the sun’s finally coming out.” Kanan followed her eyes to the window. Along with the parting clouds, a young woman walked in. She must have been significant, but she definitely wasn’t the politician in the picture. Just someone in business casual attire, maybe a few years older than Kanan. She carried a large handbag, but he assumed those were just in style right now.

She asked for 4 coffees to go, further confusing Kanan. If this was the banker’s contact, wasn't she going to stay?

Another barista brought Vidian his cappuccino. _Didn't say “thank you,”_ Kanan noted.

Hera was still close, and her posture shifted. Something was about to happen. He turned his hand, still beneath hers, just enough to squeeze her fingers, to let her know he was ready for anything. To his surprise, Hera squeezed back.

“I’m going to get some water,” Hera said, standing up. “Want some?”

Kanan took the hint to stay put. “Sure.”

“I’ll miss you.” Her lips were pouted and her voice was higher than normal—cracks in her performance that no one else would have noticed. It was so unlike her that he had to fight the urge to laugh until Hera leaned in very close. Her lips brushed his cheek, then his ear. “Text on my signal,” she whispered.

He sat back in his chair, a self-satisfied smile on his face (all part of the act), as he watched her saunter away. Pulling out his phone, he pretended to scroll aimlessly, waiting for her signal. She hadn’t said what the signal was, but he would know.

Hera approached the self-service water at the counter, taking her time to separate a cup from the stack. Kanan cued up a text, “Hope you can get some sleep tonight.”

As the barista prepared the mystery woman’s order, Hera fiddled with the spout on the water dispenser as if she couldn’t figure out how it worked. The mystery woman curled her lip, looking at Hera as if she were stupid, and Kanan resisted the urge to sneer.

“Oh, there we go,” Hera said with a laugh, dispensing water into her cup. Kanan hit _Send_.

The mystery woman rolled her eyes. Hera took a drink, placed the cup on the counter, and pulled out her phone as if to check the text.

“Here are your coffees,” said the barista. The mystery woman didn’t thank the barista, either. _I bet neither of them left a tip,_ thought Kanan. She took her order and walked toward the exit.

Hera finished her water, pitched the cup, and walked far behind her, still absorbed in her phone.

Kanan’s glanced from the suspects to Hera over the top of his screen, working to keep his shoulders relaxed. This had to be it.

The mystery woman walked past Vidian. He didn't look up. Nothing happened.

Kanan scratched his nose. Had he missed something? Hera was back, still in character with that coy smile.

“You forgot my water,” he said, beckoning her over.

“Oops.” She perched herself in his lap and he slid his phone under his thigh. This was a new move, and he tried not to look too surprised.

“I'm thirsty,” he said. The irony of his words was not lost on him.

“Let me make it up to you,” she purred, linking her arms around his back. Right in his ear, she added, “Make it good.”

She didn't have to tell him twice—he kissed her neck, bringing his hands to her waist.

Hera's phone dug into his spine between his shoulders. She had to be taking more pictures. The worst part (aside from this kiss being fake) was that Hera wasn't even going to tell him what had happened. If he thought too hard about it, it was going to kill his act, so instead, he focused on leaving a hickey where her neck met her collar bone. _Just doing what she told me to_. It was brazen enough to look convincing but juvenile enough to keep him focused on the mission.

The gasp she let slip sounded pretty real, but he'd have to file that information away for later. He changed angles, taking a quick glimpse to see if anyone was hovering over them. The coast was clear, though he was sure they were making people uncomfortable. After a little more rustling, her hands slowed and the phone dropped to his lower back.

“Got it,” she breathed into his ear. But instead of drawing back, she said, “Don’t stop.”

The words almost broke him. She had to know they would. But it made sense. If Vidian was suspicious, stopping as soon as his supposed colleague left wouldn't help matters.

Or at least that's what he told himself before Hera turned his head to kiss him on the mouth.

The moment it happened, he knew it would be over too soon. Gently, almost like she missed him, she cupped his face, sliding her hands to stroke the back of his neck. Even if it was just for show, she remembered their rhythm. It took all of his concentration to keep stay focused, but it got harder with every soft press of her lips against his. He tried to remember those old Jedi mantras about attachments (always a big turnoff) but the words got lost in the feel of her hands and lips on his skin.

Someone was clearing their throat. That was the signal. Hera turned to look behind her, eyes narrowed. It was their mark who wanted them to get a room, but the employees and other customers were either staring or determinedly looking away. _At least we left a good tip_ , Kanan thought.

“Do you mind?” Vidian growled. “I'm trying to work.”

Hera rolled her eyes and heaved a sigh. “Come on, Love. Let's take this somewhere more private.”

She crawled out of his lap and dropped the mugs in the collection bin. It was a very good thing he was meditating so much more these days. Kanan slipped Hera’s phone into his back pocket and replaced his own. He stood, summoning his cockiest energy.

“I'd apologize, but come on, have you seen her?” Kanan said, admiring Hera’s retreating form with exaggerated greediness. She took his hand and led him outside amid grumbles and eye rolls.

“Are you trying to kill me?” he hissed in her ear once they were clear of the windows.

She smiled and whispered, “Mission accomplished.”

He knew better than to ask which mission she was talking about. She wasn't going to give him information on either. When they were off the main drag, Kanan let go of Hera’s hand. She didn't protest.

He passed her phone back to her. “Thanks,” she said.

It was a long, awkward walk back to the remote parking lot they had chosen.

He should have used the time to think about the actual mission. Maybe if he could push the kiss from his mind he could piece together the missing information and figure out exactly what they had witnessed today.

Something must have happened outside the store behind him, but it was pointless to guess, so he went back to wrestling with his emotions. Their undercover operations had never called for kissing before. Permission to make out with Hera was always good, but it was all just for show. He didn't know whether to feel used or grateful she'd invited him at all. It was all going fine until kissed him like she had back in Lothal.

Now, there was no one around to overhear them.

“You and I are pulling this fake couple act a lot,” he said. “Not that it isn't fun, but it's almost like you're trying to tell me something.”

Hera shrugged. “I do what works, and this works every time.”

That wasn't an answer. “And why do you think that is?”

Hera didn't even blink. “Because we've seen each other naked.”

Kanan was too shocked to laugh. “So it wasn't a dream,” was the best comeback he could manage.

“Look,” she went on, “You're good at hiding in plain sight. And it doesn't hurt that we have history.”

“Just history?” Kanan asked.

Hera fixed her eyes on the sidewalk ahead. “Would you rather I left you behind?”

“No,” he said quickly. This wasn't getting him anywhere. He was back where he started: suck it up and help Hera or never see her at all. He sighed and followed her in silence for half a block.

“Good,” she finally said. “Because if I take someone else, I'm going to have to come up with a new cover story.”

He laughed. Knowing this particular act was reserved for him had to mean something.

They reached the car and climbed in, taking a circuitous route to ensure they weren't followed. Once Kanan was on the path back to where the camper was waiting, Hera spoke.

“That woman works for Adelhard’s campaign.”

“Oh,” Kanan said, amazed she was sharing anything with him. “So she was doing business with Vidian?”

Hera nodded. “But that wasn't Vidian. That was just an underling.”

“Makes sense,” Kanan said. “I thought Vidian was too much of a big shot to buy his own coffee.”

“Chopper and I pieced the details together. They tried not to leave a digital trail, but we got them.”

“ _Got them_?” Kanan echoed. “I know I was a little preoccupied but I didn't see anything happen.”

“While you were,” she pursed her lips, searching for the right phrase, “creating a diversion, that campaign worker was getting into that same car. The driver must have just taken a spin around the block after dropping Vidian’s guy off.”

Kanan sat back a little in the driver seat. He figured Hera had been taking pictures of something back there. “But what does that really prove? It could just be a ride-share.”

“Blacked out windows on a ride-share? Besides, we’ve been tracking the plates.”

There were plenty of other possible explanations, but she was probably withholding some details. He wanted to ask what she planned to do with the information, but Hera had never shared this much about a mission before. Even if it was out of pity, he knew better than to question it.

So Vidian was funding the campaign under the table, and by extension, the ISB was funding the campaign. Blackmail didn't seem like Hera’s style, so he guessed she was going to try to expose the candidate for who he really was. People had a right to know who they were voting for, after all.

Kanan just hoped that it would make a difference. Populists could get away with a lot—not even the Jedi were immune to charisma. He had been shielded from the full extent of the corruption, but in hindsight, he should have seen the warning signs.

The atmosphere almost felt like it did back then, only now he had no Master to guide him. He was responsible for his own student, of sorts. It had all happened so fast. And instead of running away, here he was dipping his toes into the fray.

 _It’s all Hera’s fault_.

He couldn't even pretend that was true anymore.

They reached the woods where the camper was hidden and stashed the car in a new spot before walking the path back to their makeshift campsite.

“I'm sorry I kissed you,” she said. “I got caught up in the moment, and it just…”

Whatever she wanted to say died on her lips. Kanan turned and touched her arm.

“Hera, you can kiss me any time you want to.” 

It was just a statement, not a request, but Hera looked up at him like she was considering it. Still, she hesitated. Even though she made it seem so easy in a room full of strangers—their first kiss came to mind—it was suddenly impossible when they were alone. He didn't blame her; the timing was all wrong and the last thing he wanted to do was put pressure on her.

“I just hope you did it because you wanted to,” he said, trying to ease the tension. He let his arm fall back to his side. “That's all I'm saying.”

“Oh, I definitely wanted to.”

She left it at that.

No closure, no new beginning, but their footsteps were lighter as they walked on, and that was good enough for him.

“Welcome back, guys,” Sabine said, not looking up. She was sketching while Zeb and Chopper were hunched over their portable router, arguing about something.

Ezra looked up from his meditation—Kanan was proud of him for practicing—and tilted his head.

“Hera, what happened to your neck?”

Now, everyone looked up. Hera touched her neck on instinct, confused. The moment it dawned on her, she sighed under her breath. At about the same time, Ezra let out a snort of laughter, Sabine snickered, and Zeb rolled his eyes.

“ _Recon mission,_ my ass,” Zeb muttered.

“I got the pictures,” Hera said. Her serious tone was betrayed by the flush spreading up her neck, a nice compliment to the little bronze patches Kanan had left there.

“But at what cost?” Chopper asked.

“Just come with me,” she said to him, throwing Kanan a look as if to say, _Seriously?_ He feigned innocence.

“You too, Ezra,” Kanan said, tearing his eyes away from her. “We’ve got work to do.” Ezra hopped up.

“So, what—” he began.

“Don’t.”

“But—”

“No.”

He could hear Sabine laughing as he and Ezra headed deeper into the woods. Kanan still felt like they were all in over their heads, and he still had a ways to go in earning everyone's trust, but compared to where he was just a couple months ago, he'd take his chances.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! I'm still not ready to talk about the end of Rebels, but this story is back! This time, I'm going to focus a little more on the rest of the team, so expect chapters from Sabine, Zeb, Ezra, and Chopper. Don't worry, there will still be plenty of Kanera goodness. 
> 
> I just couldn't resist the Fake-Out Make-Out because Kanan and Hera are built for that trope.


End file.
